After Senate orientation, Imee Marcos quips: ‘It’s like the first day of school’

MANILA, Philippines — It’s like their  first day of school.

Four neophyte senators — Christopher “Bong” Go, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Francis Tolentino, and Imee Marcos — went to the Senate on Tuesday to attend the orientation for incoming senators and their staff.

The four are among the 12 newly elected senators last May.

READ: 4 neophyte senators attend Senate orientation

“Para akong pumapasok sa eskwelahan (It’s like going to school),” Go told reporters before the briefing.

Marcos echoed Go.

“It’s like the first day of school. We’re the newbies,” she said after the briefing.

But unlike Go, Dela Rosa, and Tolentino, Marcos has experience in legislation as a former member of the House of Representatives.

So when asked what she learned from the orientation, she said it would be embarrassing to say as she has long been in government.

“First day of school nga. Nakakaaliw…(It’s like the first day of school. It’s fun),” Marcos said.

As a neophyte senator, she said she intends to just listen and watch her colleagues first when Congress opens in July.

On her first days at the Senate, she said, “Balak ko na nga makinig lang muna at manood sa kanila (I plan to just listen and watch).”

Go, meanwhile, admitted he is “excited” to serve as a legislator.

“Sanay naman po ako sa trabaho for the past 21 years. Almusal, pananghalian, hapunan ko puro trabaho na, minsan pati panaginip, trabaho pa rin (I’m used to working for the past 21 years. Work is my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes, I even dream about work,” he said in another interview after the briefing.

“Kakaibang challenge naman sa buhay ko (This is a different challenge in my life) but I will not limit myself for being legislator only,” he said.

While at the Senate, Go reiterated that he would continue as adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte. He quickly assured though that there would be no conflict of interest even as he performs his job as a senator and at the same time an adviser of the President.

Go was a special adviser to the President until he was elected in the Senate last May.

Dela Rosa, for his part, has expressed readiness to take on his new job as a senator.

During the briefing, he said he learned about the organizational set up in the Senate, the functions of the offices there as well as the process of filing a bill.

He admitted they still have a lot to learn about legislation.

Even before he assumes his new post, Dela Rosa said he already started reading a book about the rules of the Senate.

“Oo, meron akong libro, yung rules of the Senate (Yes, I have a book on the rules of the Senate),” he said in a separate interview with Senate reporters.

“Matagal ko na yung pinag aralan, habang nag bakasyon ako binabasa ko yun. Ngayon, me alam na ako (I’ve started reading that when I was on vacation. Now, I know some things),” the former police chief added. (Editor: Eden Estopace)